This invention related to covers for straw, hay and the like and particularly to covers shaped to fit large round bales of such crops.
Bales of hay, when left in the cutting field or otherwise exposed to the weather, tend to rot and deteriorate, breaking apart and scattering the gathered hay over the field. Improved haying equipment has in recent years promoted gathering hay into large, cylindrical bales which may be as large as eight feet long by six feet in diameter and weigh as much as 1500 pounds. These bales cannot be lifted manually into a truck for transport and this has resulted in the proliferation of expensive new machines and devices designed specifically for lifting and transporting such large "round" bales as they are commonly called. Many farmers are unable to afford such transporting equipment and devices and thus leave the baled hay in the field and exposed to the weather.
Moreover, barns or enclosed buildings where the bales can be stored and protected from adverse weather are expensive to construct and the concentration of the bales tends to impose a high risk of loss of the entire hay crop in case of fire. Because of this, the need exists for a handy, easy to use, inexpensive bale cover that protects the bale from inclement weather conditions and tends to maintain the integrity of the bale in the field or other open area.